Carson residents offer to fence out wild horses; BLM says that won't work

There are excerpts from two press releases below. The first came today from a wild horse group saying that it'd offered to pay to fence out some wild horses near Carson City so the Bureau of Land Management doesn't have to round them up. I asked the BLM whether it was true that it had rejected offers to put up a fence; in response, it sent out a press release saying that it didn't think the fence was a good solution.

Today, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC), a national coalition, joined forces with a Nevada State Senator and local community leaders in and around Carson City to harshly criticize the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for refusing to work with local residents to keep a small group of wild horses free. The mustang herd at issue travels between federal land in the Pine Nut Herd Management Area (HMA) and a rural area outside Carson City.

“We are outraged that, at a time when the BLM has stockpiled an astounding 50,000 wild horses in captivity, this agency is unwilling to work with the community to prevent the removal of more horses by keeping one small family of cherished horses wild and free,” said Deniz Bolbol, AWHPC communications director who has been working with the community on a plan for the horses.

On Friday, Bolbol spoke with BLM manager Leon Thomas and urged the agency to build a fence to keep the horses in question on their designated range, offering to cover the costs if necessary. She noted that, each year, the agency builds miles of fencing for livestock, and expressed shock that the BLM had not even considered building a fence to keep these wild horses within their designated range. Bolbol points out that temporary fencing could be put up in a day or two to address any possible safety concerns.

Yesterday, the BLM announced that it will proceed with the immediate removal of the horses, rejecting offers from neighbors, local officials and wild horse advocacy groups to work on solutions that would keep the horses wild and free. The agency continues to cite outdated complaints more than a year old, relating to other horses, as justification for its targeting of these horses. …

The wild horses at issue are locally revered by residents as a part of their culture. This band has lived in this area over 40 years; the herd originally had approximately 50 horses, who were systematically removed by BLM over time. Just weeks ago, the small herd was down to 11 members, when the BLM removed five horses. There are just six wild horses left in this family, and residents have been fighting hard to keep them wild and free.

“We are heartbroken that our government will not work with us on a solution for these beautiful wild horses who are cherished by our community,” said Annie Jantzen. “This is a heartless move by the federal government, which is thumbing its nose at local leaders, our community and the American taxpayers, who continue to pay as the BLM removes more and more horses from the range, while ignoring real solutions to keep them on our public lands.”

The BLM itself admits that the small family of horses at issue does not affect the Pine Nut Mountain HMA population count because they are isolated on the Carson side of Brunswick Canyon from the rest of the horses.

And the BLM reply:

On Jan. 23, 2013, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District Office began removing 11 problem wild horses on the outskirts of Carson City, Nevada. The horses are a part of the Pine Nut Mountains herd management area (HMA) that is adjacent to Deer Run Road in Carson City. These horses routinely cross the Carson River into River View City Park, where the BLM has received several complaints of people feeling threatened by the wild horses. The horses are outside of HMA boundaries the majority of the time and residents, especially horse owners, can quickly find themselves in potentially dangerous situations as domestic wild horse encounters can be very unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Two weeks ago, after gathering five of the 11 horses, the BLM took a break from bait trapping due to some community concerns, and the BLM met with constituents to hear their position and potential solutions. The community group submitted ideas that were considered, but they did not address and resolve all of the public safety problems. The BLM has posted the community’s proposals, as well as its information regarding the viability of these solutions, on its website at www.blm.gov.

“While the BLM recognizes that these horses have been part of the community out here for many years, we also have a responsibility to keep wild horses from creating a safety hazard or threatening the well-being of the community and its animals,” said Leon Thomas, Sierra Front Field Manager. “We truly appreciate the ideas people provided us for alternative solutions, but after thoroughly considering each one, they won’t truly eliminate the concerns from other community members. The community has offered a proposal that is a great starting point for working with local residents and the city to ensure we have long-term solutions in place, so we don’t find ourselves in this position again. I’m looking forward to getting the various groups involved.”

Four horses have been struck and killed by vehicles since 2010; however, the Carson City District isn’t always notified of collisions, so this number could be higher. Since June of 2011, the district has removed five stallions in response to complaints. These complaints ranged from concern for the safety of residents’ children, as some of these stallions approached residents’ children in an aggressive manner while the children were riding horses or caring for their own horse, to other stallions that were fighting with domestic horses through fences. In all complaints, there were safety concerns and property damage.

The BLM follows the Code of Federal Regulations 4720.2-1, which mandates the removal of strayed animals from private lands based on written request from landowners. The bait trapping is in response to several complaint letters the BLM has received in past months from private landowners.

The gathered horses will be offered for adoption as soon as possible, hopefully within in the next month or so, at Silver Saddle Ranch, and details will be forthcoming and will be posted on the BLM Nevada website at www.blm.gov.

COME BACK TO THE TABLE, BLM! Come and work with the taxpayers who have spent hours in good faith, who presented a comprehensive plan to help manage the alleged complaints. We specifically requested in our meeting with BLM that our plan be evaluated in the spirit of open minded cooperation; no plan perfect from the drawing board. We fully expected and still expect that BLM will return to the table and give this time to work. There is NO imminent safety hazard to the public in any corner, NO REASON not to allow cooperative efforts to be implemented during which time our gentle and treasured horses should remain on their home range, near the community that loves and wants to protect them! We offered the BLM an opportunity to finally get it right, and be a part of something exceptional~ they could turn the tide on all the hateful sentiments felt by the general public, by standing in integrity and working cooperatively with people! We are not asking them to break their own regulations, indeed have offered hours of our own time, money and sweat to help them do the job they are mandated to do!

I JUST CALLED.... LEON AND TOM .. NEITHER ONE WERE ANSWERING... THE LADY WHO ANSWERED FRAN SAID THEIR PA SYSTEM WAS OUT ( SERIOUSLY) ANYWAY.. IVE PUT IN A CALL FROM CALIFORNIA AND IM SURE IM NOT THE ONLY ONE! IRONICALLY I SPOKE TO TOM BIRCAUSKAS SP? YESTERDAY ABOUT FENCING AND HE SAID "oh a great idea" UNQUOTE

Interesting comments by the BLM. I am a resident of the area, and am part of the group wanting to save these horses. We are not 100 percent certain on the number of horses hit according to the BLM. We are researching it now. To the best of our knowledge 4 horses have been hit since 1994.
There have been no incidents in the last 2 years since safety measures of rumble strips were installed. These slow vehicles down as they enter the neighborhood. A stallion approached a young child who had been feeding it popsicles. Grandma freaked and reported the horse. The BLM supplied our group with 8 complaints on the horses since March 21, 2011 through August 1, 2012. The complaints were mostly centered on a very assertive stallion we referred to as Studley. Studley was rounded up in August of 2012. The other 2 were sons of Studley. One of them was the colt that was being fed popsicles. The other was being a nuisance due to being lonely and kicked out of the herd. To our knowledge there have been no issues since these 3 horses were removed.

Wild Mustang Robin and her friends at Youths' Equine Alliance started this petition to stop the horses from being removed. The local advocates, including ecologist Craig Downer, have petitioned the State of Nevada and the BLM to allow them to implement a reserve design in the area which would be an ideal case study for the argument. Over 1500 others have also endorsed the plan. Maybe if enough people speak up for these horses the government officials will listen? http://www.change.org/petitions/governor-encourage-wildlife-reserves-to-save-nevada-s-horses-from-slaughter

This is totally wrong what the BLM Carson City office has decided! It is entirely contrary to the true intent and spirit of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act whose Section 6 affords the perfect justification for setting up a Cooperative Agreement here to work with the community to safeguard both people and wild horses and thus further the true mandate of the WFHBA which is to preseve and protect, as well as manage, wild horses and burros IN THE WILD!!!

So in other words the BLM makes arbitrary decisions with a one-track mind and lies stated as facts. Sick and tired of this whole effin agency. Their mandate is obvious--horses out, energy & mining in. Watch out cattlemen, you're next.

Even when the people that care and are truly concerned for the well being of these horses and offer to out of their own pockets to pay for fencing, the BLM say NO.......Just what does that say about the BLM working with it's citizens. These are not their horses they are everyones horses......BLM, you need to get off your HIGH HORSES and show good faith, for once that you care, put your EGO aside and do what is good and right for the horses, come one, dare you to for once HEAR THE PEOPLE

why can't they just move them to the other side of the highway, away from this area were there are other Wild Horse's, and theres a fence up part of the way to keep them off the highway, just relocate them, to keep them Wild and Dixie Safe

Just a thought... Adopt the horses in question, mandate a fenced reserve for them athat addresses the blm concerns and pilot a community effort to support this particular group. Prove that there are alternatives. Not a happy situation to be sure, however this is a perfect opportunity to pioneer community responsibility for a national treasure. The BLM has a thankless task here, they have to weigh the possibility of a wild stud and the range of potential behaviours against the safety of the general public. As a horse addict myself I want to vote BLM is bad mustangs can do no wrong, As a parent of what I am certain is the most incrrdible child to EVER exist... If that mangy wild nag looks sideways at my bou theres gonna be hell to pay. Both sides cant win. The mustangs have very clear and defined rrquirements both socially and environmentally. The specific challenhe in this case is balancing the two to the satisfaction of all such that the BLM simply cannot find issue. I see serious safety issues from the side of BLM, that a simple fence may solve, I do not know all of the specifics. Public safety will always trump the hand dealt. Picture a pregnant mother of four speeding to the hospital in an ambulance hitting this group crossing the road in poor weather, The possibility while seemingly outrageous exists. Resulting in needless deaths. Imagine the public outcry AGAINST the horses, BLM and everyone involved. The solution lies in long term community planning, and public support, not futile outrage against the BLM for doing a job that is neither pleasant nor easy.

Maybe they should put up signs, you know, like the deer crossing signs. Just make sure to put them in the area where you want the horses to cross! :) I love horses and wish I lived in that area so I could get in the dirt with the locals. These horses represent our heritage and culture. I can't imagine the...well I can , but don't want to imagine the suffering and trauma these wild creatures have to experience by the hands of the BLM. Do any of these "public servants" even get up on horses and ride? Or are they just bureaucratic uniformed members of our good government? Watching and wondering what I can do to help!

BLM Will Say anything to Keep Thier Roundups Going ! They Are Making too much Money On Our Horses !!! I Think The Fence is a Good Idea !!! These Horses Should Be Giving Land an No Man Should Take it Away Ever !!! Let them Run Free !!!